Stuffy Nose remedy that WORKS!!!!!!

And then on the seventh day........ [Insert religious figure here] the hydraSense Nasal Aspirator for infants and newborns was created!!! So after my last blog, my wonderful friends messaged me on Facebook and texted me to say that there IS a solution that works and doesn't require you to get boogers in your mouth.  My friend Melissa swore by this and said its the greatest thing since sliced bread (okay... those may not have been her exact words).
So I went out to Shoppers and checked it out (I believe you can get it at Walmart too, and probably for cheaper). I think at Shoppers it was on sale for $19 - but worth every penny.

The kit comes with the suction contraption (nasal aspirator.. if you want to get all technical about it), 5 saline drop doses (which last for more than one dose), and 5 filters (they say one use but seriously I'm cheap and the refills were $5 for the filters so I just rinsed mine with soapy water and let it dry). You put the filter in the suction contraption, then you put the saline drops in the nose, and then gently put the suction thing in the nostril and suck it out with your mouth (yes still sounds gross BUT the filter catches it and you don't get a wad of boogers in your mouth). Now Dominic still detests me going near his nose but he can breathe afterwards!! His cold has been lingering on and he's still stuffed up in the morning and by the night, so I've been using this and it is absolutely AMAZING! Thanks to my friends for messaging me about this!

Cold + Teething = Bad Nights.. Even with the Amber bracelet!

When it rains it pours!

Dominic is getting his top two middle teeth (of course at the same time). And of all times, its when he has his second cold. My poor boy is already uncomfortable, but then is also having trouble breathing through his nose because he's all stuffed up. Not sure which is bothering him more (I think its the cold personally). And to top it off I have the same cold as him! I think we may have caught it on our travels home from Florida unfortunately. 

Now I've heard all of these great home remedies for stuffy/runny noses. None of which I have found to be very useful. 

Remedy #1

The little snot sucker that looks like a little turkey baster doesn't seem to work at all. Every time I squeeze even slightly the top pops off (I'm sure they made the top come off for sanitary reasons so you can clean it once you've actually managed to suck out some snot - but when the top pops off it really makes the whole process ineffective). I think I'd rather buy a brand new one every time I use it instead of having one where the top comes off! Now I have heard of people sucking the snot out themselves (yes with their mouth) or blowing it out (there's instructions on how to do this online - essentially you cover one nostril and blow into their mouth). I have not tried these methods - so if anyone has please feel free to share!

Remedy #2

Humidifiers. While shopping for humidifiers I was told that warm humidifiers are not the way to go and they cause bacteria and all that and now they suggest the cold humidifiers. I got a really great one, and it even has lights that shine the moon and stars up on the ceiling at night so I use it also as a night light. I have not noticed it helping even a little bit. His colds seem to last just as long and doesn't seem to provide any relief. I was told not to use the Vicks vapour stuff that you can buy for the humidifiers until Dominic is 18 months.. there's something in their nose that burns ?? Don't quote me - I can't remember exactly what the girl at Babies R Us told me.. just remember her saying something about it burning.

Remedy #3

Eucalyptus Oil. Since Dominic is still kind of too young for this, and it one of the ingredients in the Vicks Vapour stuff, I just put a little bit in some boiling water in the kitchen when we were in the living room (its all one big space). While I found that helped me clear up a little bit - it didn't seem to do much for him. 

Remedy #4

Salinex or saline solution. Now this does seem to provide minimal relief and help clearing up Dominic's nose. But its a struggle fest to try to get near his nose. Typically what I've done is while he's breastfeeding before bed or in the middle of the night when his eyes are closed I take the opportunity to put some of the salinex in his nose using the dropper. I'm sure you can imagine the shocked face and sputtering when Dominic is all nice and relaxed eating and gets something squirted in his nose - BUT its effective. What can I say?? Desperate times! And at least he goes right back to eating and calms back down so it seems to work the best. 

Remedy #5

Suck it up buttercup and ride it out. By far the most effective. And if you're confused because this doesn't seem like much of a remedy or a solution... well you're right. It isn't. It's just the way it is! There's not much you can do for a little one when they have a cold. Just try to make them as comfortable as possible. There are boogie wipes that have saline in them and make wiping their nose a little less awful. Of course its still kind of cold and Dominic still hates when I have to wipe his nose, but he likes it when I use the boogie wipes marginally more than Kleenex. So far really the best solution I've found is using a warm cloth to wipe him down. He doesn't mind that nearly as much, but when you're out boogie wipes are definitely the way to go!

If anybody else has any other remedies or suggestions please feel free to share!

Florida trip was a success!

Dominic and I made it to Florida and back in one piece! Overall it was a great trip and a nice break, and Dominic seemed to have a wonderful time! As everyone knows I was completely terrified of the plane ride. My parents were generous enough to pay for a car to take me to the airport - which was well worth it! Especially since I was travelling alone with Dominic not having to worry about parking or getting a shuttle with park and fly was a huge relief. And the fact that my car is less than dependable, it took away a lot of stress of my car even making it to the airport.  We were flying with Southwest - which to my horror when I was checking in, they don't do assigned seating. I called my Mom and told her about my confusion. They board by groups A, B and C. Each group boards and its first come first serve with seating. I was in the B group but at least I got to board first with the baby. While waiting in line with the other families I got to talking to them. There was a woman with a 7 month old and a 3 year old that was travelling alone so I felt better! 

While boarding the plane I realized I had to pick a seat and I could potentially be putting the person I chose through hell depending on how Dominic was. I voiced this concern to the woman with 2 kids that was behind me and a woman that was sitting with her daughter spoke up and said she didn't mind. And luckily they were at the front of the plane so I thanked her profusely and sat down. While we were taking off I breastfed Dominic and for the way down I gave him a bottle (which takes him longer). He only whined a little bit when he was tired and he finally fell asleep. The woman I was sitting next to was a total dream and even helped me keep Dominic amused when he was awake. He wasn't a fan of the change table in the bathroom airplane but we got through it. And when I got out of the bathroom one of the women I met in line was waiting and asked if I wanted her to hold Dominic while I went to the bathroom. I almost cried with happiness since I was planning on having to hold it until we landed! Dominic was such a champ and nothing seemed to phase him even the landing that was a little bumpy. I had flight attendants and everyone around us stopping me to tell me how good they thought he was. 

The whole trip he did amazing and looooved the beach and playing in the sand (we managed to keep his hands out of his mouth except for once!). And he just put his feet in the water since it was too chilly to go all the way in. He absolutely loved it. The plane ride home wasn't as wonderful as the way down there. Dominic was great in the airport prior to the flight but I knew he was due for a nap and to eat. He pooped before we boarded and I thought that was perfect - better than on the plane. Buuuut he decided to poop again mid flight anyway! We had more success in the bathroom this time. He fell asleep before we even took off after he started to cry. Unfortunately he only slept for 20 mins and then after that it took a bit to keep him occupied and after about an hour he was whining. Which I guess is better than full out crying but I still felt he was bothering the other passengers. One of the mothers sitting across the aisle from me gave me a couple of her toys that seemed to keep him more interested than the new ones I had bought him for the flight. Once we were off the flight, I went to go change his diaper again - and he of course waited to pee until his diaper was off which was wonderful ! By the time we got to the baggage claim everyone was already gone, and since our driver was absolutely amazing - she had come to find us since it was the same driver that drove us to the airport and she knew what I looked like and knew I would need help!  All in all it was a great experience - although tiring, and it was well worth the trip. Having my parents around full time to help me out was priceless and they even took him a couple of times so I could just lie on the beach for a couple of hours! Can't wait to travel more with Dominic!

Amber Necklaces for babies - Myth or teething magic?!

While going through teething for the first time I obviously was desperate to find something to help Dominic's pain (or truthfully my own pain listening to him whine and get him to sleep better!). He really didn't seem to be desperately uncomfortable, just had problems sleeping and was a little cranky and wanted to chew on everything.

At the Early Years Centre, I heard a lot of fuss over amber necklaces for babies. Apparently they were magical and helped with teething. I wasn't so optimistic about its powers but figured it was worth a shot. I went up to a baby store and instead of buying a necklace (the idea of something around Dominic's neck at this age just seemed like an inherently bad idea) I bought him a bracelet. I wish now that I had bought the necklace though so I could put it on as an anklet under his pajamas when he sleeps and not worry about it.

Now if it works or not I'm still not entirely sure. But whether its complete coincidence or all in my head - he seems less cranky, drools less and sleeps better when he's been wearing it. I have lost it a couple of times or forgotten to put it on, and it just so happens those are the nights he's up the most and seems to whine more.

I've talked to a lot of other mothers about this and they seem to agree that it helps with the drool, and definitely they notice it when they don't have it on. So believe it or not - I would definitely say its worth having. Never thought I'd admit that something like this could actually work!  I would even recommend getting a back up - because I was about ready to pull my hair out when it was lost!

To eat organic or not to eat organic...

Before Dominic was born I wasn't really into the whole organic food thing. I always liked doing things naturally, but was definitely not someone who when faced with a bad headache would refuse an Advil. But I didn't like things like aspartame and avoided what was obviously bad for you. With my pregnancy I really started becoming more aware of what went into my body and of course worried about the affects on my growing baby. After he was born I wasn't free from worry since I was breastfeeding.

I think a lot more now about wanting to do things as naturally as possible. Including the foods I eat. My friend started getting organic fruits and vegetables delivered to her house. And after meeting with my Naturopath (Dr. Michael Frosina http://www.drfrosina.com/) I figured it was worth it to start trying to buy organic.

I wanted to try out the delivery service my friend was using, Plan B Organic Farms (http://planborganicfarms.ca/). It's super simple to sign up. You can either get a delivery every week for 20 weeks, or bi-weekly, and they also have the option to pick up or get it delivered. As the delivery charge is $60 I didn't really want to do it, but they were nice enough to allow me to get it delivered to my friends house which is only a few minutes from me, and then we could split the delivery charge. They have different size boxes depending on your family size. Each small box is $25.

I got my first delivery a couple of weeks ago and have now had 2 boxes. The first week came with Onion, Garlic, Potato, Carrots, Kale, Banana, Apples, Pears, Lettuce, and Living Sprouts. Now the thing is you don't have a choice of what comes in your box. So if you're not adventurous or are a picky eater - this is definitely not the way to go!! Luckily my parents made sure I liked everything (well really they just made me eat everything, and eventually I got used to it!). I also enjoy cooking and am actually really happy to have something to shake things up. I found I was always buying the same thing and making the same meals. So this gives me something to work with. I had never had kale before and really liked it! Last weeks box came with collard greens - something I never would have thought to buy and now I love them!

Plus with all the organic stuff and now that I've started Dominic on solids (I started with vegetables and fruit - all home made of course) - I take whatever in the box that I can make for Dominic and stock my freezer with food for him!

Thank-you Wagjag!!

My mom came across a deal on wagjag for a photographer and asked if I'd like it for some pictures with Dominic. It was an hour session, with 20 pictures on a disc and a couple of prints for some insane price (I believe it was $38). In total it was a $150 value. I saved it for Dominic's 6 month pictures. I've been taking weekly pictures of Dominic with a sign saying how many weeks he is (which is great to have - but I definitely am not a photographer - and I have a terrible camera). The Wagjag deal was for Now and Forever Photography (http://www.nowandforeverphotography.ca/) in Stoney Creek. The photographer Natasha does it out of her home.  Dominic unfortunately was woken up to go to our appointment for 6pm (which wasn't the best idea - I should have made it for the morning when he's the happiest). He just didn't want to smile for anything! I tried every trick in the book. We got a few shots of him smiling, but Natasha did a great job with him and got some great shots of him even though he wasn't smiling.

I had absolutely no idea how to position him - Natasha had different props and I didn't have to bring a thing (other than clothes obviously).

I would highly recommend Natasha and Now and Forever photography.  She was super nice and was great with Dominic and got some amazing shots even with my unsmiling baby boy. Luckily he's amazingly cute (in my completely bias opinion) so even not smiling he's handsome!

Finally we got some smiles playing peek-a-boo!!

And then I had a baby...

I never used to be much of a coffee drinker... and then I had a baby.
I used to laugh at people that went to bed before 10pm... and then I had a baby.
I never understood why my parents were so overprotective and worrying all the time... and then I had a baby.
I didn't know what it felt like to be overwhelmed, excited, terrified, and over the moon happy... and then I had a baby.
I never had someone puke down my shirt... and then I had a baby.
I thought poop was disgusting and never got how parents could discuss poop so much... and then I had a baby.
I never knew absolute, unconditional love... and then I had a baby.